Love One Another

Monday night I went to a benefit concert in New York for the homeless. My wife Lisa was one of the performers. The price of admission was a blanket, coat, or cans of food. All of the goods were stacked in piles on the stage in an impressive arrangement. Homeless persons as well as the general public were in the audience. The concert featured opera stars from the Met, and the chorus of New York City Opera. The music was wonderful, and everyone applauded. One man, who had been homeless, told his story of addiction and recovery, and how the Interfaith Assembly had helped him. Everyone applauded him, too. I noticed that the audience gave the same applause and appreciation to the opera stars and to the homeless man. In the end we all sang "O Holy Night". The line from that hymn, "... to love one another," rang in my ears.

The event impressed upon me that all of us are all worthy and deserving of love and appreciation, whether you're a famous opera star or a homeless person. Underneath the surface we're not that different. Hard times as well as success and riches could fall upon anyone. So it's not accurate to judge people by their living conditions.

I felt that the benefit concert was a superb example of the spirit of the season. We've all heard the directive, "love one another", but what does it mean to really live that?

I do find that people in general are more friendly, considerate and generous around the holidays, and that's definitely evidence of love in action. People give gifts to each other, and they often give donations to charitable organizations. To me loving one another means not only being generous, but also treating others with respect. It's the inner attitude that makes the difference. It's about seeing others as equal in worth and at the same time acknowledging each one's special uniqueness.

Of course this is easier said than done. It's not that easy to recognize and honor those who are very different from you. And it can be a stretch to have love for someone that you don't like or who has hurt you. Yet I believe that treating all beings (including yourself) like brothers and sisters, accepting them with respect and understanding, without judgment, is an indication of an evolved level of consciousness and being. This to me is what "loving one another" and the spirit of the holidays is about.

I wish you and all those you care about, much joy and many blessings for the holidays, and hope that we all can learn to truly love one another. - Joel Contact Coach Joel

I'd love to talk with you about coaching or creative thinking. Please contact me atjoel@coachjoel.com or 973-701-1007 for a complimentary 30-minute consultation.

Creative holiday tip

If you celebrate Christmas, this can be a wonderful opportunity for creativity. There's still time to make or find a last-minute gift, or to plan a creative Christmas activity. You can find many creative ideas online, make your own.

"Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." - Dale Evans

To me this implies that the essence of Christmas is the feeling of love and caring. We don't have to wait until the actual holiday to experience the joy of love or giving; we can have that feeling any time. All we have to do is to bring the spirit of Christmas into our intentions and actions.

This newsletter is written by Joel Remde, to receive this newsletter via email contact joel@joelremde.com. I welcome your comments and feedback; that will help me learn what you’re interested in and also make this a better newsletter.